Kejriwal warns schools against stiff fee hike

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has issued a stern warning to private schools about seeking fees hike to implement the 7th pay commission recommendations. Mr Kejriwal reiterated on Thursday that the government will take the & quot strongest action& quot for harassing parents by increasing fees, apparently to comply with the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC). In October 2017, the Delhi Government had allowed recognised unaided private schools which were situated on Delhi Development Authority land to increase their fees by 15 percent as an interim measure to comply with CPC Recommendations. These recommendations include a raise of nearly 25 percent in the salaries of schoolteachers. According to officials, while private schools have been allowed to raise their fee to pay the salaries and arrears of staff, they are to do this only after the exhaustion of all other reserves. Then, they may increase their fees, but only to make up the shortfall between their reserves and the amount needed to comply with the 7th CPC, no more than that. The CM tweeted that parents from all over Delhi had been complaining about the steep fee hike including arrears. He said that this must stop and that he had directed the Education department to review the whole situation and take immediate steps to correct it. In another tweet, he said that the government would take strict action on anyone who victimised any students, in regard to this matter. The Delhi Government has said it was monitoring the situation and would come out with a solution within a week. A meeting had been called by the CM on Thursday to review the situation arising out of the stiff fee hikes that the parents have been given only a week's time to pay.Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who holds the education portfolio, said that private schools would not be spared if they acted like commercial organisations. He also said that the government would not hesitate to act severely against schools that harass or victimise the students and their parents in relation to the matter of the fees.He stated that the government would audit private schools' accounts if needed. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government has assured aggrieved parents that they will be able to register any complaints with 'Fees Anomaly Committees' that will be set up in each district. The government has disposal of these complaints within 90 days.